Venues

Although I got soaked when I walked Django, by the time I'd done some programming at home and taken a bus into Edinburgh, it was beautifully sunny. First stop was Scotts Kitchen, which I'd booked for the HiGHS workshop dinner without ever having seen it. I needed lunch, so ate there. I was fortunate to get a table on the terrace overlooking Victoria Street, and it will be sublime if we get a warm, sunny evening for the dinner.

After eating, I moved onto the Pear Tree, an old pub with a huge yard, where I booked 30 seats for the "welcome drinks" on the first evening of the workshop. They couldn't handle a bar tab, so this might be a bit too informal. 

By the time I'd got to my office, I had time for an hour's programming before Researcher J arrived for a meeting. They are going OK, so we spent time chatting about the workshop. I put to them my idea that if we end up with too many people for Scotts, J and another local will find a venue for the students who are attending. They've not paid a registration fee, and HiGHS will pay for their meals, so I don't think they'll feel miffed by not going to Scotts. Indeed, some may prefer it to hanging around with a load of older people.